Will officers fully enforce SB1070?

PHOENIX - Since Senate Bill 1070 passed, many police chiefs have spoken out in opposition of the law.

And now less than a month before it takes effect, big questions remain: Will officers enforce it? Will it really change anything? And will it work?

"The law is extraordinarily complicated," said Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley. "It's going to be very difficult."

Romley said it may be tough for law enforcement to bring a solid case to prosecutors. His office isn't sure how many cases they could see.

"We'll have to see how it unfolds in the next few months," Romley said.

If history is an example, enforcing SB1070 could turn into a struggle that officials are now facing trying to enforce the Employer Sanctions Law.

That law was also controversial, heavily challenged and protested. It targeted businesses that hire undocumented immigrants.

Since it passed in 2007, only one case has been successfully prosecuted.

"It wasn't even that successful," Romley said. "They were going out of business anyway."

But the success of Senate Bill 1070 falls mainly with cops on the street. And many officers have told ABC15 that the new law will not change how they approach their job.

"The officer has the ability to disengage," said Brian Livingston, executive director for the Arizona Police Association. "He doesn't have to go to the immigration question if it would preclude the continuation or finalization of an investigation or if the person is a victim or witness."

Livingston said SB1070 is broad and gives officers discretion.

"If you provide me identification recognized by this state, then there are no immigration questions -- period," he said.

But if they do ask, it's more complicated than many people think.

"The gathering of evidence is where it's really going to be complex," Romley said. "It's not just going and asking the person if they are here illegally."